Recently in Dining Out: California
Beautiful onions, oyster mushrooms and strawberries, all grown short distances from where I found them. If it looks like a farmer's market, you're on the right track. During the summer months like this, it could be any of hundreds of markets around the country. Any specific guesses? I'll make it easier...
We admired a mosaic of heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo (I picked up a bag of cheery Christmas limas), then gawked at the tower of returned crocks once full of delicious French-style Saint Benoît yogurt. (We lunched on the Meyer lemon variety.)
Have you guessed now? That's right, we spent Saturday morning at San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Market. Above to the left, we stopped for a brief chat with June Taylor and took her recommendation of a jar of Meyer Lemon and Rosemary Marmalade. Above to the right, only through tremendous willpower was I able to limit myself to a single round of Cowgirl Creamery goat cheese wrapped in nettle leaves. Not pictured but thoroughly enjoyed were a selection of sausages and pates from The Fatted Calf, a fleur de sel chocolate from Rechiutti Confections, beautiful squash blossoms and a half dozen fresh figs.
It's a good thing we don't live closer to the Ferry Plaza or I'd be flat broke; the options are mouthwatering but not cheap. Once or twice a year though, I'm like a kid in a candy shop.
There are times when the details of life slip into sync and it feels like everything has been orchestrated for my benefit. Two days before Christmas was one of those rare days. We had rolled our dice on Priceline and blindly booked a hotel right at the base of the California cable car line in the Financial District. Union Square was a few short blocks away, the Ferry Plaza was literally across the street and we had scenic views of the Bay Bridge all at a fraction of normal room rates. Little did we know at the time that our hotel was also connected to popular Ozumo, known especially for its robata grill and sake selection.
Our dinner reservations for Myth weren't until 10pm, so we asked the front desk manager to recommend a light bite to hold us over. Without hesitation, she suggested Ozumo, confiding that they often slipped next door for the happy hour Rock 'n Roll sushi.
Ozumo is what happens when a traditional Japanese aesthetic lands in a contemporary, urban neighborhood. Dark wood, sleek metal and pools of candlelight create a warm and inviting space for dining and lounging. The restaurant is divided in to different areas with very different ambiance, but we stayed just in the bar area with it's hipster vibe and mellow trance music.
We started off with glasses of Fukunishiki Junmai Sake ($4.00, happy hour special) and an order of Shishiyaki ($4.00, happy hour special): robata grilled Shiitake Mushrooms and Shishito peppers. The sake and mushrooms were both good without being memorable, but the peppers were outstanding. Grilling brought out a smoky overtones to the moderate heat of the peppers, making me strongly consider a second order. But time was short and the menu was long, so we moved on to our next plates.
We had to try the recommended Rock 'n Roll Sushi ($4.50, happy hour special) and also picked up an order of Zuwaigani Sashimi ($10), raw king crab pressed in to succulent fingers. The Rock 'n Roll was comfort food sushi, soothing our appetites with well-balanced eel, cucumber and avocado. The Zuwaigani was spectacularly fresh-tasting, as we had hoped in light of the higher price. We paired these two plates with an unfiltered Nigori sake ($4.00, happy hour special). The sake was delicious, but we should have chosen a filtered sake as the creamy sweetness of the nigori style overpowered the lighter sashimi.
By this time we'd taken the edge off our hunger and quit before we filled up too much to enjoy dinner later in the evening. Our table would gladly be used by someone else for the waning happy hour. Speaking of happy hour, it was the discounted pricing that made this visit so worthwhile, without which a visit to Ozumo would make a sizable dent in the wallet. As it worked out, life was in sync that day and we had excellent food at a reasonable price.
This post is part of our whirlwind 24 Hours in San Francisco mini-vacation.
Other sites about Ozumo:
→ Reviews at Yelp - People love it or hate it.
→ TravelLady Magazine - The history of Ozumo.
Ozumo
161 Steuart Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-882-1333
Happy Hour: 4:30 - 6:30pm, M-F
I love living in Hawaii, I really do. God willing, I'll be here a long, long time, enjoying the natural beauty, hanging out and eating at every single hole-in-the-wall from Haena to Volcano.
But if we ever had to leave, you know, permanent-like, then San Francisco would be the next top pick. The City by the Bay is a food lover's dream and so much more: funky little art cinemas, a colorful history with villians and heroes, great old buildings and some of the most interesting people on the planet. San Francisco has it all in spades. But sometimes it really is all about the food.
When it works out that we're able to make a trip to the Bay Area, the demands of work and family leave little time we can call "our own." This past Christmas, Junko and I had a full day to ourselves during which we enjoyed as much of the City as we possibly could during out narrow window of opportunity. Over the next few days I'll be documenting our "24 Hours in San Francisco..."
One thing I miss living in Hawai`i is good Mexican food. There's the usual smattering of American-ized chains, but a dearth of authentic authenticity. My crude rule of thumb: if entrees contain grated cheddar or sour cream, tenga sospechas!
When I travel and find a good Mexican spot, it tastes twice as good because I've waited so long. Today's find is in Palmdale, northeast of Los Angeles. Mi Ranchito is Mexican fast food, but don't worry that "fast" means "compromised." For the past seven years, this family owned restaurant has been serving up delicious, authentic comida that runs circles around most sit-down joints.
For starters, I ordered two tacos ($0.99/ea), one with lengua (beef tongue) and one with suadero (charbroiled beef shoulder marinated in lime). A taco de lengua is my own litmus test for affordable Mexican, because it's simple fare, but generally not cooked for white American tastes. The succulent lengua easily passed my litmus test, but I still preferred the tangy suadero The tacos were small, as you might expect for the price, and were garnished simply with onion, cilantro and green chilis.
I also ordered a sopes de chorizo ($2.25). Sopes are similar in construction to the open-faced tacos, but use a thick tortilla made from masa, and are garnished with beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, cilantro, crema and green chilis. The chorizo was clearly homemade, slightly oily and very spicy. Oh so good! The price seemed high compared to the tacos though--more than double.
A tall glass of horchata ($1.29) helped wash everything down. Horchata is made from rice water and milk, seasoned with cinnamon and a generous portion of sugar. It is sweet to counteract and balance the spice of the meal. By the time I finished everything in front of me, I was comfortably full at a very affordable price.
Contrary to the hope that Mi Ranchito would scratch my Mexican food itch, it has only increased my cravings. If anyone knows of good Mexican on O`ahu to sooth my addiction, I'd love to hear from you!
Mi Ranchito
1060 E Palmdale Blvd Ste 101
Palmdale, CA 93550-4751
(661) 273-2135
